Protection plate for automobiles



y 1932- o. c. RlTZ WOLLER 1,859,634

PROTECTION PLATE FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed Sept. 28, 1929 lll Patented May 24, 1932 PATENT OFFICE OLIVER G. RITZ WOLLER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS PROTECTION PLATE FOR AUTOMOBILES Application filed. September 28, 1929.

My invention relates to protection plates for automobiles and particularly to that class of plates employed on or about the running board of a car for protecting the parts from being scufl'ed or worn by the feet of the passengers in entering or leaving the car. It is one of the objects of my invention to provide anew and improved form and arrangement of parts in a protection plate of this type comprising an upstanding kick plate portion which is secured upon or closely adjacent to the body of the car immediately above the running board at its inside edge. It is one of the objects of my invention to provide an improved form of device of this type where- I by the upstanding plate member may be removed readily and quickly from its posi tion for affording access to the portion of the body of the automobile directly opposite the rear face of such upstanding plate portion.

It is one of the objects of my invention to provide an improved arrangement of means for securing the kick plate in position upon the running board or adjacent parts, either in connection with a step plate portion secured on the running board adjacent thereto, or otherwise, such securing means being so arranged that the parts are held securely in position so as to resist any tendencyto be accidentally detached and so as to prevent rattling even under severe conditions of use of the car.

It is one of the objects of my invention to improve devices of this type in sundry details hereinafter pointed out. The preferred means by which I have accomplished my several objects are illustrated in the drawings and are hereinafter specifically described. That which I believe to be new and desire to cover by Letters Patent is set forthin the claims.

In the drawings,-

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred form of my improved protection plate means in position upon a fragmentary portion of a Serial No. 395,771.

running board, the device being broken away at one corner;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the rear or inner edge portion of the tread plate portion of the construction shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the kick plate portion of the device shown in Fig. 1, such kick plate portion being seen from the rear;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but with certain of the parts broken away;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section through a portion of the tread plate and kick plate members of the device as shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 7 is a vertical section taken at line 77 of Fig. 6.

Referring now to the several figures of the drawings, in which corresponding parts are indicated by the same reference characters, 15 indicates the running board extending outwardly from the body 16 of a car. The tread plate portion 17 of my improved device is secured upon the running board 15 by a plurality of bolts 18, two of such bolts being employed at the outer edge of the plate and three of such bolts being employed preferably at the rear or inner edge. The tread plate portion 17 comprises a bottom plate 19 formed preferably of steel having its edges turned upwardly to provide a flange 20 continuously thereabout. A top facing plate 21, which in the construction shown is formed of aluminum, is turned downwardly at its edge portions to provide aflange 22 surrounding the upwardly turned flange 20 of the bottom plate. The plates 19 and 21 are cut out at their middle portions into the form of frames, and a rubber mat 23 is secured in the cut-out portion with its edges extending between the plates 19 and 21 so as to be held securely in position. A reenforcement strip 24, preferably of steel, is secured between the plates 19 and 21 at the rear edge of the tread plate portion, being held in position by means of rivets 25 which are preferably form-ed integrally with the facing plate 21, as is best shown in Fig. 7, the rivets 25 being hollow for affording the openings for the bolts 18.

The kick plate portion of my improved construction is indicated by the reference numeral 26. This kick plate portion comprises a fairly heavy steel reenforcement plate or part 27 having a rearwardly turned flange 28 at its bottom edge, constituting an attachment plate portion. In front of the reenforcement plate 27, I have provided a facing plate 29 of aluminum or other soft metal secured in position by means of rivets 30. In the construction shown, the reenforcement plate 27 and the facing plate 26 are provided with oppositely turned flanges 31 and 32 respectively at their upper edges. The reenforcement plate 27 and the facing plate 29 are also preferably provided with oppositely turned flanges 33 and 34: respectively along their side edges.

The means for securing the kick plate portion 26 removably in position upon the tread plate portion 17 in the construction shown comprises a plurality of pins or bolts 35 which are secured in upstanding position at the rear edge portion of the tread plate, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2. Each of the pins or bolts 35 is inserted in openings through the plates 19 and 21' and the strip 24, being shouldered at the top face of the plate 21 andbeing riveted at the bottom face of the plate 19. The rearwardly turned flange 28 of the reenforcement plate 27 of the kick plate portion is provided with elongated openings 36 enlarged at one end for receiving the heads of the bolts 35, the arrangement being such that upon sliding movement of the kick plate portion longitudinally thereof the headed members 35 are brought into engagement with the narrow portions of the elongated openings 36, in which position such headed securing members serve tohold the flange 28 rigidly in position for maintaining the kick plate portion in its operative upstanding po sition as shown in Figs. 1 and 6. In the construction shown, the flange 28 is provided with heavy flat springs 37 each bifurcated at one end, as is best shown in Fig. 4, with the separated arms of the spring in position directly above the elongated openings 36, the springs being held in position in the construction shown by means of rivets 38. The construction and arrangement are such that when the kick plate portion 26 is given its longitudinal movement for bringing the openings 36 into operative engagement with the headed bolts 35, the springs 37 are displaced downwardly against their resilient action. WVhen the kick plate portion26 reaches its operative position as shown in Fig. 7, the springs 37 serve by their pressure upon the heads of the bolts 35 to hold the kick plate portion very strongly in position so as to resist any tendency of the plate to slide out of operative position and so as to prevent any rattling of the parts.

By the use of my construction the kick plate portion of the device is very securely held in position against any movement transversely of the running board butis quite readily removable by the application of pressure on the kick plate longitudinally thereof. The structure is very strongly reenforced so as to be capable of standing up under severe conditions of use. At the same time, I am enabled to employ a facing plate of soft metal such as aluminum which will take and retain a very good polish. The construction is such that the kick plate portion can be re moved as often as desired and again replaced so as to be held strongly and rigidly in position.

lVhile I prefer to employ substantially the construction as shown in my drawings and as above described, it is to be understood that I do not limit my invention thereto except so far as the claims may be so limited by the prior art, it being evident that changes may well be made in the construction with out departing from the spirit of my invention.

I- claim 1. An automobile protection plate, comprising in combination a facing member of soft metal, a reenforcement member also of metal fixedly secured to said facing member in rear thereof and having a plurality of elongated openings therethrough enlarged at one end, and a plurality of headed securing devices firmly held in position adjacent to the inside edge of the running board of a car over which the enlarged portions of the openings are adapted to pass, said securing devices serving by engagement with the narrower portions of said openings when the re enforcement member is moved longitudinally to hold said reenforcement member and the attached facing member securely in upstanding position.

2. An automobile protection plate, comprising in combination a facing member of soft metal, a reenforcement member also of metal fixedly secured to said facing member in rear thereof, means for securing said re enforcement member slidably in upstanding position adjacent to the inside edge of the running board of a car, and resilient means put under tension by the operation of securing the reenforcement member in position serving normally to hold said member in snug engagement with the securing means and to prevent reverse sliding movement of said member.

3. An automobile protection plate, com-- prising in combination a facing member of soft metal, a reenforcement member also of metal fixedly secured to said facing member in rear thereof and having an elongated opening therethrough enlarged at one end, a third member of metal adapted to be secured fixedly in position adjacent to the inside edge of the running board of a car, a headed securing device mounted on one end portion of said third member in position to pass through the enlarged portion of said elongated opening in said reenforcement member and adapted to hold said reei'iforcei'nent memb r secure-- ly in upstanding position when moved longitudinally to engage the headed device in the narrower portion of the opening, and means for securing said reenforcement member releasably to said third member at its opposite end portion.

4. An automobile protection plate, comprising in combination a facing member of soft metal, a reenforcement member also of metal fixedly secured to said facing member in rear thereof and having a baekwardly extending flange at its lower edge provided with a plurality of elongated openings enlarged at one end, and a plurality of beaded securing devices firmly held in position adjacent to the inside edge of the running board of a car over which headed securing devices the enlarged portions of said openings are adapted to pass, said headed securing de vices being adapted by engagement with the narrower portions of said openings to hold said reenforcement member and said facing member in upstanding position.

5. An automobile protection plate, co1nprising in combination a kick plate reenforcement member, an attachment plate portion rigidly connected with said reenforcement member at substantially rightangles thereto, a soft metal facing member fixedly secured on the front face of said reenforcement part, and means for securing said attachment plate portion removably in position for holding the reenforcement part and said facing member in upstanding position adjacent to the inside edge of the running board of a car.

6. An automobile protection plate, comprising in combination a step plate member, a separately formed kick plate member, and means carried by one of said members in unit formation therewith adapted by releasable engagement with means carried by the other member in unit formation therewith to secure the kick plate member removably in upstanding position at the rear edge of the step plate member.

7. An automobile protection plate, comprising in combination a step plate portion, a kick plate reenforcement part, a facing member of soft metal fixedly secured on the front face of said reenforcement part, and means for securing said reenforcement part removably in position on said step plate portion for holding said facing member in upstanding position at the rear edge of the step plate portion.

8. An automobile protection plate, comprising in combination a step plate portion, a kick plate portion provided with a plurality of elongated openings therein enlarged atone end, and headed securing devices rising from said step plate portion at its rear edge in position to extend through the enlarged portions of said openings and adapted by engagement with the narrower portions of said openings to hold said kick plate portion in upstanding position. 7

9. An automobile protection plate, comprising in combination a step plate portion, a kick plate reenforcement part, a soft metal facing member fixedly secured on the front face of said reenforcement part, said reenforcement part being provided with a plurality of elongated openings therethrough,

enlarged at one end, and headed securing devices rising from said step plate portion at its rear edge in position to extend through the enlarged portions of said openings and adapt ed by engagement with the narrower portions of said openings to hold said reenforcement part and said facing member in upstanding position.

10. An automobile protection plate, comprising in combination a step plate portion having a frame of softmetal, akick plate portion provided with a plurality of elongated openings therein enlarged at one end, header securing devices rising from said step plate portion at its rear edge in position to extend through the enlarged portions of said openings and adapted by engagement with the narrower portions of said openings to hold said kick plate portion in upstanding position, and means for holding said headed securing devices rigidly in position with respect to said soft metal frame for bracing said kick plate portion relatively to said step plate portion.

11. An automobile protection plate, comprising in combination a step plate reenforcement part made of sheet metal, a facing member made of soft metal secured on the top face of said reenforcement part, spacing block means interposed between said reenforcement part and said facing member adjacent to their rear edge portions, a kick plate reenforcement part of sheet metal provided with a plurality of elongated openings enlarged at one end, a soft metal facing member fixedly secured on the front face of said reenforcementpart, and bolts secured in openings in said spacing block and said metal parts above and below the spacing block and having their heads held in spaced position above said facing member by shoulders on the bolts engaging the top face of said facing member, said headed bolts being adapted to extend through the enlarged portions of said elongated openings and being adapted by engagement with the narrower portions of said elongated enings to hold the reenforcement part and t- 1e attached facing member in upstanding position at the rear edge of said step plate portion.

12. An automobile protection plate means, comprising in combination a kick plate, means adapted for engagement with the lower edge portion of said kick plate by sliding said plate longitudinally thereof for holding the plate detachably in upstanding position near the inner edge of the running board of a car, and yielding means carried by the plate adapted normally by engagement 1 with said holding means to prevent reverse sliding movement of the plate.

OLIVER C. RITZ XVOLLER. 

